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Prod
Trad climber
A place w/o Avitars apparently
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Topic Author's Original Post - May 14, 2009 - 02:50pm PT
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I am not sure if this is recommended by the manufacturer, but an engineer for a rope company told me to sew dental floss into the sheath of my rope to create a middle mark.
Prod.
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Russ Walling
Gym climber
Vulva, Wyoming
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May 14, 2009 - 02:55pm PT
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I mark mine with speedy_stitcher thread with a few through the cord and the rest whipped to make a visible and feelable section. I like to feel it too, not just see it.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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May 14, 2009 - 02:56pm PT
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Beal ropes come marked already.
I've not heard of any ill effects of
their coloring of the rope.
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scuffy b
climber
Bad Brothers' Bait and Switch Shop
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May 14, 2009 - 03:06pm PT
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Dental floss tends to be slippery. So, as the mark frays it will
pull out pretty quickly.
Unravel a strand from the sheath of a rope or accessory cord.
It will be more durable, and you can choose a contrasting color.
I have been able to see my middle marks from half a rope length away.
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
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May 14, 2009 - 03:09pm PT
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Just tie a knot in the middle, easy to see and feel!
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Scared Silly
Trad climber
UT
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May 14, 2009 - 03:57pm PT
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I quit buying single colored ropes years ago. Now-a-days I buy nothing but bi-colored ropes. No fuss, no mess and permanently marked. Bi-color ropes have been around for years, mostly in Europe but more and more they can be found in the USA. They will cost you $20-$40 more than a single colored roped but it sure beats screwing around trying to find some manky middle mark.
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kev
climber
CA
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May 14, 2009 - 04:09pm PT
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I usually take a knife and put a little cut in the middle. That way it frays there and I know right where the middle is. And the frays get bigger with use so you can easily find the middle.
kev
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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May 14, 2009 - 05:14pm PT
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My current single came marked. all my doubbles have sharpie middle marks. after folks toldme that i was going to die marking the middle of my rope with a sharpie I took several of the middle sections from retired sharpie marked ropes and tried to break them with an F150 and a big assed tree (BAT). I broke a lot of rope and one booty biner but never once did it break @ the sharpie mark. Every time without fail it broke at the knott. My current #1 Logging rope is a sharpie marked 10.6mm marathon. that sob has hauledd a lot of BAT's out of the woods without breaking.
Sharpie masrk is good to go INMOP
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Jamulian
Trad climber
Jamul, CA
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May 14, 2009 - 05:24pm PT
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Awhile ago I called one rope manufacturer (Bluewater?) and they told me that a Sharpie Laundry Marker was safe to use on a rope. I have used that for some time now and I'm still alive.
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Scared Silly
Trad climber
UT
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May 14, 2009 - 05:59pm PT
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tradmanclimbs your tests are bogus. A knot which is a sharp bend and causes what is known a stress concentration. Depending on knot this concentration often lowers the strength of the material to 50%-60%. There are specifically designed tests for understanding the dynamic and static properties of a cord.
Also your tests were probably more in line with a static test rather than a dynamic test. That is unless you left some slack in the rope which I doubt.
So while you may think your tests were indicative of the type of failure you might encounter while climbing they were nothing more than a waste of rope while giving a false sense of security. Doing tests without a clear understanding of the principles behind them are why people die or worse. Dying just pisses your family and friends off. Living and becoming a quad cause ya cratered pisses you off. Nothing worse than not being able wipe your own ass or having to drink your beer with a straw.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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May 14, 2009 - 06:04pm PT
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Scared silly you don't know sh#t about rednecks. My tests are damn good.
this is a before picture. Notice how faded the green sharpie mark is and how it rests right on the booty biner. that sharpie mark has been on there for several years and been re applied several times.
This is the After photo. I do leave slack in the system and I do mosh the hell out of that ol truck. Notice how the rope broke @ the knott AGAIN. I have broke a shitload of climbing rope and it ALLWAYS breaks @ the knott or on a sharp edge.
If you can replicate this test in A REAL LIFE CLIMBING incident you won't be able to write about it. Gaurenf*#kinteed!
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Scared Silly
Trad climber
UT
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May 14, 2009 - 06:09pm PT
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I know enough to stay away from redneck tests that start with "Here hold my beer" and involve a beater pickup and a tree.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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May 14, 2009 - 06:16pm PT
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Here is a shot pre test. notice the nice little coil of rope to let er build up speed.
note; ther are some scraps and rope debris in the photo from previous tests that do clutter the photo a bit. you should however be able to get the jist of it all.
Any of you tech weinies want to challenge my findings have at it. I'm ready to rumble ;)
PS, I don't drink booze or smoke pot.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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May 14, 2009 - 06:40pm PT
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You guys are all missing the point. No doubt one way of marking is better than some other way, with Kev's probably best because it allows you to find the middle even in the dark.
But the truly elegant solution is to get a lighter and fuse the two ends together. After that, no problem. Every point on the rope is now the middle, and you don't have to bother your mind about it no more.
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kev
climber
CA
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May 14, 2009 - 07:50pm PT
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Ghost,
I like the way you think....
kev
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BrassNuts
Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
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May 15, 2009 - 12:56am PT
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Buy a Bi-pattern rope. Nuff said :-)
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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May 15, 2009 - 01:28am PT
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Bob Culp at the Boulder Mountaineer recommended I get a Sharpie T.E.C. marking pen. TEC stands for Trace Element Certified. Basically, it is a Sharpie that doesn't have any trace elements.
I don't know if the trace elements are what decreases the strength of the rope, but what the hey.
Even though testing has shown that rope strength can be reduced by marking the middle I do not remember seeing any accident where a rope broke exactly where it was marked. That empirical data indicates that rope marking is OK as long as you use an approved method.
If you are weaving thread or floss into the sheath is there any danger to damaging the rope or loss of strength if you catch a few thread of the core in the stitching?
Bruce
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Brian Hench
Trad climber
Laguna Beach, CA
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May 15, 2009 - 01:43am PT
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If you are using a Sharpie for laboratory glassware marking you might care about trace elements if you were performing ICP-MS analysis. It's so sensitive that when the glassware goes through the wash the marking can transfer from the outside of the glassware to the inside. I'm a chemist but I am just guessing.
I wouldn't worry about damaging the rope with your needle, provided that you don't use one of those needles that feature a triangular tip. Those can cut. Use a round needle.
Make several passes, laying the thread lengthwise so it's less likely to cut. Leave 3-5 inches sticking out on each end of the thread. When it wears out, replace it.
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Chaz
Trad climber
Boss Angeles
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May 15, 2009 - 01:48am PT
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Has anyone ever checked to see if their center-mark of a bi-color rope was actually at the mid-point?
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